Scaling Success for the Underserved: Temasek's Eliza Foo on Impact Investing in Asia and Beyond (#071)

SRI360 | Socially Responsible Investing, ESG, Impact Investing, Sustainable Investing

Impact investing in emerging markets has been viewed as a high-risk proposition fraught with challenges. But my guest today sees these challenges as opportunities for innovation, identifying and investing in solutions that address critical social and environmental needs while building a resilient portfolio with competitive returns.

Eliza Foo is a leader in sustainability and impact investing at Temasek, one of the world’s most respected global investment firms, with a portfolio value of USD $288 billion. Temasek operates across public and private markets, investing from its own balance sheet, which allows for great flexibility in pursuing opportunities across asset classes, geographies, and sectors.

Eliza’s journey to becoming a leader in impact investing is inspiring and unique. From a young age, she excelled in academics, earning scholarships that took her to the Australian National University. She graduated as a valedictorian with a Bachelor of Commerce and later pursued a Master’s in Applied Finance at the University of Melbourne.

Eliza has built an extraordinary career in finance, starting with prestigious roles at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. She later transitioned to impact investing - a field she has helped shape over the past decade.

Eliza leads the Impact Investing team at Temasek, which plays a key role in achieving Temasek’s mission of creating lasting value for this and future generations. Under her guidance, Temasek has spearheaded innovative investments in emerging markets, working to close gaps in financial inclusion, healthcare, agriculture, and climate.

Her vision for impact investing combines financial rigor with measurable societal and environmental outcomes. You’ll hear about her team’s focus on linking impact metrics to financial KPIs to ensure growth and positive benefits are intrinsically connected.

We also touch on Temasek’s partnerships with organizations like LeapFrog Investments and ABC Impact, which enable them to amplify their reach and scalability in creating innovative solutions across the globe.

Let’s dive in!

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About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes. In my interviews, I cover everything from their early personal journeys to insights into how they developed and executed their investment strategies and what challenges they face today. Each episode is a chance to go way below the surface with these impressive people and gain additional insights and useful lessons from professional investors.
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Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Eliza foo’s background and early career path (02:55)
• Temasek’s sustainability strategy (25:09)
• Impact investing at Temasek (38:41)
• Challenges and opportunities in emerging markets (53:51)
• Temasek’s strategic partnerships (58:35)
• Temasek’s exit strategy (01:11:38)
• Rapid fire questions (01:14:52)
• Contact info (01:18:54)

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Additional Resources:

- Temasek's Website

- Eliza Foo's LinkedIn

- Temasek's LinkedIn